Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called assisted suicide laws “abhorrent” and pointed to Canada’s bloating “MAID” program as a cautionary tale for the United States.
Kennedy made the remark on Wednesday during a Senate hearing on President Donald Trump’s 2027 budget request after Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) broached the subject.
“I want to switch to an issue we have not had a lot of time to talk about and that is assisted suicide. We now have three states, California, Colorado, and Vermont that disability groups are filing against some of the assisted suicide laws because it seems to target those with disabilities and the Americans with Disabilities Act passed in 1990, that act has worked to protect those with disabilities, not incentivize them to take their own life,” Lankford said. “And so, this is an ongoing conversation on this and I think my question for you today . . . what is HHS doing to protect those with disabilities that may be targeted by those assisted suicide laws?”
“To me, I think those laws are abhorrent. And we just see in Canada today, I think the number one cause of death is assisted suicide, and as you say, it targets people with disabilities and people who are struggling in their lives,” Kennedy replied. “And I don’t think we can be a moral society, we can’t be a moral society around the globe if that becomes institutionalized throughout our society. So, I am happy to work with you in whatever way we can.”
While assisted suicide is not the number one cause of death in Canada, it is the fifth. Canada is on its way to approaching 100,000 recorded deaths from assisted suicide through its Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) program, according to a tally from pro-life activists.
While Canada at first only allowed assisted suicide for terminally ill patients, the country has rapidly expanded who can qualify, including those who are not terminal. The country is expanding the law to include mentally ill people in 2027, and some activists have pushed for the law to expand to minors and even babies.
READ MORE: Canadian Doctors Offer Euthanasia to Woman Suffering from Back Pain
Assisted suicide is being embraced by many Democrat-run states. In the U.S., 13 states and D.C. have passed laws legalizing physician-assisted suicide for terminally ill people, including New York, Illinois, Delaware, Vermont, Oregon, Washington, New Mexico, New Jersey, Montana, Maine, Hawaii, Colorado, and California.
Much like with the abortion argument, proponents frame the assisted suicide argument around “choice,” “freedom,” and “compassion.” Besides major ethical and moral concerns around physician-assisted death, opponents of assisted suicide warn that the laws can be coercive and target people with disabilities, as well as people who are worried about becoming a financial burden to their families.
Katherine Hamilton is a political reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on X @thekat_hamilton.
